Beyond Produce: Other Edible CSAs Bring Mixed Results

Would you buy a box of bread, cheese, chocolate, wine, olive oil or jam from a local artisan on a regular basis?

In Berkeley and beyond, budding food producers are incorporating the community food model in their business plans. But they are having mixed success. Indeed, whether this concept can become financially feasible outside of the fruit and vegetable box remains to be seen.

“The jury is still out on if this is sustainable, long term,” said Cindy Tsai Schultz, co-founder of Fresh Bite, a baked goods start-up that began with a community supported approach, but has since put the idea on hold.

Community supported food began with CSAs or Community Supported Agriculture, which has proven mutually beneficial for farmers and consumers. It’s a popular way to buy local, seasonal, organic, sustainable vegetables, fruits, and herbs directly from a small-scale farmer through a subscription or membership system, and it offers a direct connection between producer and purchaser. From an economic standpoint, a CSA provides growers with upfront funds and a known demand, an important buffer in the risky and unpredictable business of farming. (Subscribers pay a regular weekly fee, typically in the $20-$55 range, depending on the size and mix of the box.)

But a review of recent start-up community supported food initiatives reveals the challenges of making such a model cost-effective.

Pandora’s Box, a community supported bread seller, had short but sweet success before calling it a day. Fresh Bite began as a baked-good community supported business, but quickly morphed into providing complete meals, following consumer demand.

Cindy Tsai Schultz and Terry Betts of Fresh Bites.

The new business is the brainchild of two moms, friends Terry Betts and Cindy Tsai Schultz, who have six kids between them and so know just how challenging it can be to get a healthy dinner on the table. But building a membership base proved too onerous for the nascent company, which opted to put the weekly subscription on hiatus to concentrate on its wholesale line of baked goods, available at Monterey Market and Star Grocery. Their seasonal, savory and sweet eats will also be available at the new farmers’ market opening in May on Wednesdays at San Pablo and Solano Avenues.

Another local business that tried a community supported element up until recently was The Xocolate Bar store on Solano Avenue, where once-a-month members received handmade chocolates and truffles featuring seasonable, sustainable organic ingredients. The effort has also been discontinued. “Even in Berkeley there’s still a lot of education you have to do with eaters around a subscription,” said Malena Lopez-Maggi, co-owner of the chocolate shop. “It’s a really hard sell. I’d suggest other businesses interested in this kind of model partner with an existing CSA instead of starting their own.”

Some local businesses have made the model work. At Vintage Berkeley, wine buffs can walk in and pick up a monthly six-pack (six mostly red wines for $60), curated by owner Peter Eastlake and Vine Street store manager Brent Fraker. A more traditional subscription wine club is also available, and the store has about 200 wine lovers signed up, which helps the staff negotiate better rates with wine distributors. And in a new, symbiotic relationship, Vintage on Vine Street has just begun serving as the East Bay CSA pick-up spot for the Fatted Calf Charcuterie. “We just figured it was a good fit,” said Fraker. “People who like artisan salumi, duck confit, and pork terrine are probably going to want to drink some wine with their meat. It’s working out really well.”

Dafna Kory, maker of the popular preserves INNA jam says that 25-30% of her business comes from people who sign up for her seasonal subscription (starting at $60 for six jars). Kory, like others who provide this option to their customers, likes to include something special for folks on her subscription list, this spring it’s a limited edition organic kiwi jam. “When it works, the community supported model can really help you plan and grow your company,” Kory said. “It’s an important part of my business and it’s a show of support from customers who invest in you when you need it most.”

If you haven’t already check out Pop Up General Store: Founded by Christopher Lee and Samin Nosrat, Pop-Up General Store is a group of professional cooks {nearly all of them current or former Chez Panisse cooks} making the foods they love to eat. They Pop-Up every two or three weeks so that you can get your hands on some. http://www.popupgeneralstore.com

I think as far as concept the subscription based food model (pertaining to healthy food) is a mixed bag. On the upside, it helps the local economy and cultivates healthy eating. But on the downside, the food is very expensive (for the common American) and it is largely overlooked because of that. A perfect balance would be amazing, and would attract lots of business, a food revolution of sorts.

I think it’s an interesting idea, but it requires people to change how they think about cooking. It no longer is “what do I feel like making?” but “What do I have I can use?”NoPotCooking´s last [type] ..Chicken with Polenta and Spinach

I like the concept and the idea of supporting the local community. Whether or not I’d do it would depend on a few factors like price, consistent quality and availability. But if it helped make my life easier (and healthier), that would be a very big draw.

Boy, you really want to see operations like this succeed, but I can see how it would be a tough go … especially in this economy. I know some folks who tried the CSA thing with fruits and veggies, but after not too long, even that couldn’t survive here in Colorado.

A childhood friend’s son is starting a little CSA. They home school, and he has this whole plan. It’ll be neat to see how he does.

Interesting post! Here on Cape Cod, fish csa is an option. I did not sign up because I shop at the local fish store in summer and like to patronize it. I wanted to sign up for the veggie one, but they are all in another part of the Cape and I cannot fight traffic to pick up.Alexandra´s last [type] ..Oyster Shells &amp Defeat of Article to Prevent McMansions

Convenience and old-fashioned customer interaction, as you note here, Sandy, are two factors folks weigh up in signing on (or not) to such things. I think a fish CSA is super cool and know there have been mixed results in CA with this model too.

It’s not local per se, but for awhile I subscribed to the monthly Tasting Box from Foodzie.com. Each month, they choose six products to feature from their pool of small artisan food producers. You also get a map showing where in the country your items come from and sometimes they enclose recipe suggestions. I think that model is a great way for small producers to gain exposure even if they can’t get a critical mass from the local community.

Hi Susan, thanks for letting me know about the tasting box, which I hadn’t heard of. Interested folks can learn more here: http://foodzie.com/tastingbox
Curious to hear what kinds of artisan goodies you received.

Like others, I’m wondering about pricing. It seems like food in general is getting more expensive. Do any of these CSAs have wiggle room with their pricing–I guess I’m wondering if they’re going to raise their prices as the costs for all goods are increasing?

The cost of food certainly in the news a lot these days, it’s true, and that may explain why some of these specialty community supported food models didn’t fly. But then some are doing quite well, so I’m sure there’s more to it than straight economics.

If these out-of-the-box CSAs can’t make it in the Bay Area, I wonder how they would ever find success in other parts of the country. I know there are artisanal ice cream memberships in my area, but the price is so prohibitive… of course, I just make my own.Casey@Good. Food. Stories.´s last [type] ..Happy Birthday- Bakery- One Year in Business

My CSA (which, as Sarah knows, I adore) just got chickens and is preparing to add on an optional egg share I’m excited about, and you can pay online to add the farm’s jam to your share from time to time. Added-value items I could get behind, but most other products you mentioned don’t get used up fast enough at our house to justify a subscription. The CSA tried a partnership with a local tea shop last year, and while I like the company, I don’t drink that much tea.Stacy (Little Blue Hen)´s last [type] ..weekend in brief and the cookbook winner!

Hi, Stacy, thanks for chiming in and sharing your own experience with a CSA. Makes sense in terms of the add-on products, you really want to buy items that you use on a regular basis to make it worthwhile.

I think it’s a great idea. I mean, it really goes back to the Olde World notions of sharing sourdough starter and helping each other thresh wheat. It’s time we got back to those methods of shared sustainability.Jane Boursaw´s last [type] ..Three Osama Bin Laden Movies Already in the Works